Game



Oct. 6, 1936. I FORD 1 2,056,781

GAME I Filed Sept. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W lNyENz ORM' Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME Application September 18, 1935, Serial No. 41,150

2 Claims.

My invention relates tothat type of games or toys involving the use of mechanical elements.

My invention has for its object the provision of a game apparatus of pleasing and novel form wherein the success of the player depends upon skill rather than upon mere chance.

As hereinafter set forth, the invention involves the use of a carrier upon which are mounted animals or other target devices which are to be struck by marbles or other projectiles.

One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line llI-III of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

The structure includes a casing 5, a runway 6 and a guard fence 1, although the fence 1 is not necessary to the playing of a game. Marbles or balls may be shot or rolled along the runway 6 against the moving targets which will be hereinaiter described.

A turn table or carrier 8 is provided with a hub 9 which is rigidly connected to a hollow shaft 10 that at its lower end carries a gear wheel II. The hub 9 is rotatably supported upon a bearing block l2 which is mounted upon a bracket plate I3.

A spindle l4 extends through the tubular shaft l0, and carries a notched disc l that engages the upper end of a power spring IS. The lower extremity of the spring 16 extends into a hole in the bottom of the casing 5, so that when the spindle I4 is turned, the spring will be placed under tension. A ratchet wheel I1 is secured to the spindle 14 and .is engaged by a springpressed pawl l8 that is pivotally mounted on the gear wheel I I The gear wheel I I meshes with a pinion 20 that is carried upon a shaft 2| which also carries a gear wheel 22 that meshes with a pinion 23. The pinion 23 is carried on a shaft 24 that also carries a gear-wheel 25 which meshes with a gear wheel 26 that is secured to the shaft 21.

By the arrangement shown, it will be seen that power will be supplied .by the spring IE to rotate the. table 8, and through the gear train just described, will rotate the shaft 21 at a very high rate of speed relative to the rate of movement of the spindle and the table 8. An air-resistance gc vemor 29 is secured to the shaft 21 to prevent too rapid rotation of the table.

The table 8 carries a series of pivotally-mounted I target devices 3| which are here represented as animals. The target devices are carried by bracket members 32 which are pivotally mounted upon pins 33, the brackets 32 being bent at their lower ends as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, so that the center of gravity of the targets when 5 raised will be forwardly of the pins 33, and they will remain in such slightly tilted positions until moved therefrom through the impact of a marble or other projectile.

The targets may suitably be of various sizes and designated by numerals or score numbers 20, 30, 50, etc., the smaller targets or animals having the higher score credits.

It will be seen that when a marble, for example, is shot along the chute or runway 6 with sufiicient accuracy, it will impinge against one of the target elements 3|, and the element will beknocked rearwardly to an inclined position. In order to restore the targets from their rearwardly-inclined or knocked-down position to approximately upright positions, I provide a bell crank lever 35 for each target, pivotally mounted upon the pin 33. Links 36 connect the lower ends of the bell crank levers 35 with bell crank levers 31 that are also pivotally mounted upon the table. The inner ends of the bell crank levers 31 overlie a disc-like extension on the lower end of a lifting sleeve 38, that loosely surrounds the spindle Hi.

When the lifting sleeve 38 is raised, it will rock the bell crank levers 31 and in counter-clockwise directions, the upper ends of the levers 35 serving to raise the targets into playing position.

A hood overlies the levers 31.

It will'be seen that the object of the game is 35 for a player to hit the targets as they come opposite the inner end of the runway 6, and that the number of targets he can knock down with a given number of trials, will depend upon his skill. If desired, the marbles may be projected along the runway by means of a spring-pressed plunger 40, operating in a cylinder 4| which is swivelled as indicated at 42 on the forward end of the runway 6. The upper side of the cylinder 4| is pro- 45 vided with an opening 43 through which the marbles may be introduced into the cylinder when-the plunger 40 is retracted by pulling on the operating knob 44. Releasing the knob will, of course, project the marble along the runway.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game device comprising a carrier provided with'a hub portion mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a spring motor disposed adjacent to said axis and having driving connection with the carrier, targets on the carrier and mounted for tilting movement on horizontal axes, a target-lifting device supported by said hub, and lost-motion link connections between the targets and the said lifting device, arranged to permit tilting of the targets independently oi the lifting device, but operable by the said device to restore the targets to untilted position.

2. A game device comprising a. carrier provided with a hub portion mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a spring motor disposed adjacent to said axis and having driving connection with the carrier, targets on the carrier and mounted for tilting movement on horizontal axes.

a target-lifting device supported by said hub.

lost-motion link connections between the targets and the said lifting device, arranged to permit tilting of the targets independently of the lifting device, but operable by the said device to restore the targets to untilted position, and a winding device for said motor, extending through the said hub.

ELMER A. FORD. 

